I’ve been working extra long hours to fulfill orders (Thank you!) and to get ready (much like a squirrel getting ready for winter) to have a seamless inventory control for when I need to step away from my studio for some surgery next week. (no details necessary)
Friends and family will be helping fulfill wholesale/consignment orders so stockists…don’t hesitate to email me an order….we’re stocked and ready!

💃🕺💥💨🐶🐱🐿

I welcome prayers/good vibes…whatever you call good wishes 😊Please & Thank You 💖

There’s something almost therapeutic in the sewing of aprons. I upcycle my color proofing towels into funky one-of-a-kind handles that simply make me smile as I sew them (all those color combinations)…! They take a while to sew but I hope to have enough on hand for this weekend’s show at Vintage & Made Fairwww.vintageandmadefair.com for more info.

The Dubuque towel is available via my Etsy Shop and Outside the Lines Art Galleries at 1101 Main St in Dubuque, Iowa. (They just moved from 409 Bluff Street) This gallery is full of beautiful art and gift items.

This Galena towel is available via my Etsy Shop and Outside the Lines Art Galleries at 101 South Main in Galena, Illinois. This gallery space is also full of amazing work and friendly customer service just like their Dubuque, Iowa gallery….!

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Copyright Kate Brennan Hall

Copyright Kate Brennan Hall

Copyright Kate Brennan Hall

And last, but not least… the Quad Cities where we stopped by CraftedQC—such a beautiful and vibrant space full of amazing goods.

“How do illustrators get their ideas down on paper? Do the ideas just fall from the sky? Do you just start drawing and end up with a finished product?”

These are some of the questions I get asked about my work process so I thought I’d show some examples of my Work In Progress (WIP) for a project.
I was asked by my wonderful stockists in the Quad Cities, Dubuque and Galena if I’d consider creating towels for each of their areas. I agreed and set out to research their cities to find the top spots to investigate. I traveled to their cities and spent a day shooting reference photos of the spots I thought were the most visually arresting. Then I headed home and started drawing rough “thumbnail” sketches of my overall design. After I had a clearer idea of the spots I wanted to illustrate, I started creating another set of thumbnail sketches for each spot in my overall design.

Once that was done I drew each square and put together the entire design. I created a positive (ink on a clear acetate), coated my silkscreen mesh with photo emulsion, exposed it to light and created a screen. Then I printed the towels with a rich navy blue food-grade ink on my super duper commercial grade flour sack towels. I guess you can tell by now that illustrating and coming up with ideas takes time, years of practice and persistence. Nothing magical about it. It’s joyful work, that’s for sure. But it’s honest work that keeps me happy doing it and looking forward to each new day and the next project around the corner.

I’m happy with how these pillows turned out but ya wanna know my favorite part of this photo? That this wee pillow is resting on top of a quilt my parents made.The quilt is made with upcycyled (they would laugh at that word because using old fabric is just what one did then) curtains, dresses, etc., from my childhood years. I admire the choices they made in the design and I’m so thankful that they made it for me.

Anyhoo,silly sappy me 😉 ……. here are pillows I just restocked at the Figge Art Museum gift shop. Thank you dear QC shoppers for scooping them up! I appreciate it!

Hi there! Long time no post! I’m printing up a storm to get ready for my next pop-up shop
at Vintage and Made Fair in Urbandale (Des Moines) Iowa on October 7-8th. Here’s a fun design I just posted via my Etsy Shop.

Thank you to all who could come to my pop-up shop last Saturday. It was so much fun! The COR space was a delightful place to host my #100dayproject pop-up shop. And because you purchased so many of my collages the Northeast Iowa Food Bank will be receiving $146! Thank you so much!

Last Saturday was a VERY busy day for folks in Iowa and all across the Cedar Valley and many of you expressed regrets that you couldn’t make it to the pop-up shop. Many of you asked where you might see/purchase one of my collages. I will be dropping a few off at Hatchlings & Hens in Cedar Falls tomorrow and I have posted a few via my Etsy Shop under the “Wall Art” section. Here’s a link to my shop: https://www.etsy.com/people/katebrennanhall

Thanks again for all your kind encouragement during my #100dayproject I truly appreciated it!

Special thanks to COR for allowing me to have my pop-up shop at their space last Saturday. The space at 220 East 4th St in Waterloo is an amazing space. I swear it makes one want to sit down and create! You’ve got to check it out. ***To inquire about hosting an event there: https://waterloocatholics.org/rentcor ***

After my sweetie and I print my kitchen towels, I cure them (drying process) and fold/package them. I know many kitchen towels are sold with a string tied around them but I like to take the extra step of packaging my towels. My customers and stockists tell me they appreciate my tidy packaging—perfect for tucking into a gift bag or envelope to send to a friend. So it’s worth the extra work if it makes y’all happy! ❤😊☉🖑 #caturday#wirefoxterrier

The last few weeks have been full of restocking and adding in my new pups like this sweet #pitbull to my etsy shop and to my stockists like Mohair Pear on the Hill in Cedar Falls. Lots of built-in exercise with my job printing, curing towels, packing towels, carting said towels up and down stairs…😉 Which is good because my “odometer” turns over later this month (birthday). I also think every hands-on printmaker should have their own physical therapist on speed dial. I couldn’t keep up this pace without their guidance…truly!

What Customers Are Saying:

"Great quality, I just washed this towel and no fading. It arrived on time, I was very impressed with the seller. Love it!!" ~ Theresa H. Nevada, USA /////

"These towels make me happy. Happy. Happy. Bought them for gifts then decided to keep them for myself. No regrets." ~ Gilda G. California, USA /////

"I'm delighted with both the design and high quality of this towel, and it tells the story of my life. (LOL) Fantastic service, and I'm ordering more from this wonderful shop! " ~Jeanne G. Nebraska, USA /////

"Kate, your work is amazing. I love the designs, the colors and the quality! I sent a few chicken towels to a friend in the UK thinking she would use them to dry her dishes. She loved them so much she starched them and hung them on her kitchen wall for art! Amazing stuff, Kate!" ~Pam J. Oregon, USA /////

The item shipped right on time and will work well in my gift basket for a going away gift for a co-worker.
~Merri S. Nebraska, USA /////

I left a note for Kate about the upcoming event I was purchasing this item for and she ensured that I received it not only on time but several days early! Very responsive, very quick shipment, excellent customer service. And the towel is even more awesome in person!
~ Heather R. North Carolina, USA